Stacking mechanism



p i 1969 w. A. RAMSEY ET AL STACK ING MECHANI SM 5 v m 1% f C o m n MA F M Z t Re .40 Aae wAH & 8 h m m m April 15, 1969 w. A. RAMSEY ET AL 3,438,625

STACKING MEcHANisM Sheet 2 of 3 Filed March 1, 1968 April 15, 1969 w, A, RAMSEY AL 3,438,625

STACKING MECHANISM Sheet Filed March 1, 1968 FIG. 4

INVENTOR W. A. Ram :42 y A. 6. Cal" United States Patent 3,438,625 STACKING MECHANISM Willard A. Ramsey and Aaron G. Coln, Greenville, and

Horace E. Owens, Owings, S.C., assignors to Her Majesty Underwear Company, Mauldin, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 632,308, Apr. 20, 1967. This application Mar. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 709,752

Int. Cl. B65h 29/04 US. Cl. 27168 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus of economical and simplified construction particularly useful for stacking apparel articles and the like made from slick and flimsy fabric. To prevent slippage of the stacked articles, at least one securing means always engages the stack to hold it fixedly with relation to a stack supporting member. The apparatus has an automatic and repetitive operating cycle.

Cross-reference to related applications This invention is a continuation-in-part of prior copending application Ser. No. 632,308, filed Apr. 20, 1967, for Apparatus and Method for Stacking Apparel and Like Articles, Willard A. Ramsey et a1.

Background of the invention The invention is concerned with equipment which conveys apparel articles or the like from a sewing and/or cutting station to a stacking point where the articles are automatically deposited in a neat stack. Previously, this work has been done manually in a rather inefiicient and costly manner. More recently, mechanisms have been developed for stacking cloth and like articles but such mechanisms have generally been less than adequate for handling the slick sheer fabrics which are utilized for certain garments and other articles. These are particularly difficult to stack due to their tendency to slip.

The apparatus in the above-mentioned prior application adequately solves the problem but that apparatus is slightly complex and more costly than desirable in some cases. The apparatus of the present application represents a substantial improvement, articularly in that the present structure is more simplified and considerably less costly to construct. It provides the same continuous and positive clamping or holding action present in the prior application structure, and the improved structure possesses the additional advantage of access to the stack from the front of the machine. In the prior application machine, certain obstructing parts prevented this access and more time was required to unload the machine when a stack was completed.

Summary of the invention The invention mechanism receives separated cloth articles and carries each article in a hanging or suspended condition toward a horizontal stack support member. The conveyor engages a first stack holding member and elevates the same from the stack support to allow placement of the article over the support. A second stack holding member moves into engagement with one side of the stack support to assure that the stacked articles do not slip while the first stack holding member is out of engagenrent with the stack. Subsequently, the first and second stack holding members are automatically returned to their original positions and the cycle of operation repeats automatically as many times as is necessary to form a stack of a desired number of articles.

3,438,625 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front perspective view of a stacking mechanism embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the mechanism with the stack holding members in one operative position at the beginning of an operating cycle;

FIGURE 3 is a similar vertical cross sectional view looking from the opposite side of the mechanism and showing the stack holding members in a second position during the operating cycle; and

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts, the numeral 10 designtaes a suitable housing having an elevated table extension 11 on its forward side which may support a suitable sewing machine 12 and severing mechanism 13 for separating garments 14 or other articles which leave the sewing machine connected by a thread or trim 15. Near the mouthv 16 of the stacking mechanism, input feed roller means 17 may be mounted as described in said prior application S.N. 632,308. Optionally, in some cases, the sewing, cutting and feeding devices can be omitted entirely from the mechanism and the individual articles 14 may simply be fed from the table extension 11 into the mouth of the machine by hand.

Generally, as disclosed in said prior application, the stacking mechanism includes upper endless conveyor chains 18 operating in vertical planes near the opposite side walls of the housing and engaging sprocket gears 19, 20 and 21, as shown. One of the lower gears 19 is powered as disclosed in said prior application causing the lower horizontal runs of the conveyor chains 18 to move in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIGURES 2 and 3. The lower runs 22 of chains 18 are arranged slightly above input table ledge 23 which is a part of table extension 11. The chains 18 carry a cross bar 24 which extends for substantially the entire width of the housing, FIGURE 4, and the cross :bar in turn carries a rubber flap 25 which cooperates with other elements, to be described, in conveying each article 14 to the stacking station.

A pair of coacting unpowered endless chains 26 are provided in the lower chamber of the housing 10 below the ledge 23 and these chains are in common vertical planes with the powered chains 18 in the upper chamber of the machine. The chains 26 are trained over upper and lower pairs of sprocket gears 27 and 28, mounted on stub shafts 29, secured to the side walls 30 of the housing, FIGURE 4. The chains 26 carry equidistantly spaced dogs 31 through which the lower chains are driven when these dogs are engaged by projecting drive lugs 32 of the upper chains 18. The lower chains 26 also carry clamp or conveyor bars 33 at equally spaced intervals to coact with the resilient flap 25 for carrying each article 14 rearwardly from the mouth 16 of the machine to the stacking position or station. The chains 26 move only when the dogs 31 are engaged and driven by lugs 32 of the upper chains 18'.

Approximately midway between the :front and back of the housing 10 and somewhat below the ledge 23, a stationary horizontal stack supporting bar 34 or member spans the lower chamber 35 transversely and has its end secured to the side walls 30 of the housing. The stack supporting bar includes a top horizontal web 36 and a forward side vertical web 37 for coaction with stack holding means to be described.

A first or top stack-holding bar 38 extends entirely across the top of the member 34 and is adapted to rest on the top web 36 at certain times for clamping the stacked articles 14 thereto so as to prevent slippage of the articles. The holding bar 38 is carried by a pair of side arms 39 whose forward end-s are pivoted at 40 to the housing side walls 30. The elongated arms 39 and the horizontal clamping or holding bar 38 swing vertically about the axis of pivots 40. The bar 38 preferably has a clamping weight extension 41 rigid therewith to increase the holding effect of the device by gravity. The pivots 40 are disposed slightly above the lower runs 22 of chains 18 and close to the forward sprocket gears 19, as shown. The arms 39 are in the path of movement of the cross bar 24, and as the cross bar moves with the lower chain runs 22 toward the rear of the stacker, it will engage the arms 39 and lift them so as to raise the bar 38 and extension 41 from the top of the stack, allowing the next article 14 to be deposited onto the stack which is being supported by the member 34. This movement is shown in FIGURE 3. When the cross bar 24 moves entirely beyond the arms 39 and holding bar 38, the same will drop and return to their active stack holding positions shown in FIGURE 2.

A second or side stack holding means is provided to assure positive and continuous holding of the stack of articles at all times during the stacking cycle. This second holding means comprises a side stack clamping or holding bar 42 carried by a pair of side arms 43, pivoted at 44 intermediate their ends to a fixed supporting member or to the housing side walls. The arms 43 are slotted as at 45 to provide a lost motion pivotal connection at 46 with the lower ends of a cocking lever or levers 47 whose tops carry short horizontal actuating extensions 48, engageable with cocking studs 49 on the chains 18-. The levers are pivoted at 48' between their ends to the housing side walls or to other fixed supporting structure. The extreme lower ends of arms 43 below their pivots 44 are pivoted at 50 to somewhat shorter spring-loaded links 51 whose upper ends are secured to a horizontal pushing bar 52 similar to the holding bar 42 and below the same and parallel thereto. The links 51 are pivoted at 53 intermediate their ends to stationary supporting structure carried by the housing side walls 30. Rather strong retractile coil spring 54 have corresponding ends attached to the links 51 above their pivots 53, as indicated at 55. The opposite ends of the springs 54 are anchored at 56 to the housing side walls or to other fixed structure. Referring to FIGURE 2, the arrangement is such that the cocking levers 47 being engaged by cocking lugs 49 are holding the springs 54 in a stretched condition and this in turn maintains the bars 42 and 52 near the front of the chamber 35 and spaced from the stack supporting member 34.

In this position, FIGURE 2, the two bars 42 and 52 are almost directly under the inner edge of the ledge 23 over which the articles 14 pass as they enter the stacker. A section 57 of canvas or the like extends between the bars 42 and 52 and is attached to these bars and serves to prevent the hanging tails of garments or articles 14 from lodging behind the bar 52 as they enter the stacker from the ledge 23.

Operation 8 The operation of the stacking mechanism is as follows. The parts of the mechanism are shown at the beginning of the stacking cycle in FIGURE 2. The cocking lugs 49 of chains 18 are bearing down on the extensions 48 and causing the cocking levers 47 to extend the springs 54 and hold the bars 42 and 52 away from the member 34 and near the front of the chamber 35. As soon as power is applied to the chains 18 from a source or motor, not shown, the chains will move in the direction of the arrow so that the lower runs 22 will travel horizontally toward the rear of the mechanism. Immediately the cocking lugs 49 will release the levers 47 and the springs 54 will move these levers to the positions shown in FIGURE 3 and correspondingly the bars 42 and 52 4 will shift rearwardly to the positions of FIGURE 3. The holding bar 42 will now engage and clamp the articles 14 stacked on the member 34 against the vertical web 37 and this is shown in FIGURE 3. This prevents the stacked articles from slipping or moving. The purpose of the lower bar 52 is to push the depending tails 58 of the stacked articles toward the rear of the chamber 35.

As the cycle continues, the driving lugs 32 of upper chains 18 will engage the first set of dogs 31 on the lower chains 26 at the rear of the ledge 23 and begin to drive the chains 26 in the direction of the arrows, FIGURE 2. The leading end of each article 14 upon leaving the ledge 23 falls down into the chamber 35. The trailing part of each article on the ledge 23 is engaged by the flap 25 and slide forwardly on the ledge toward the stacking chamber. As soon as the first clamp bar 33 emerges from under the ledge 23, it and the resilient flap 25 which will now be directly above it will grip the trailing end of the article 14 coming over the ledge 23 and the two elements 33 and 25 moving with their respective chains 26 and 18 will convey the particular article 14 toward the rear of the machine and toward the stationary stacking member 34. When the article completely clears the ledge 23, it will be suspended vertically from the gripping and conveying elements 33 and 25 while they are moving. At this time, the bars 42 and 52 and associated parts will already have shifted to their rearward active positions of FIGURE 3 because the cocking lugs 49 release the levers 47 at the very start of the cycle.

When the cross bar 24 reaches the arms 39 at approximately the point designated 59 in FIGURE 2, these arms and the upper holding bar 38 will be elevated away from the member 34 and stack and the parts will move toward positions as illustrated in FIGURE 3. At this time, the stack is still being secured by the second holding bar 42. The lifting of the holding bar 38 allows the next article 14 being carried by the gripping elements 33 and 25 to pass over the top of stack supporting member 34 and to be laid thereover to build the stack. Such article 14 will be released automatically by the elements 33 and 25 as they separate with their respective chains 26 and 18 at the rear of chamber 35. By this time, the cross bar 24 will have passed entirely beyond the arms 39 and bar 38 and the upper holding bar will now drop back down on to the web 36 as in FIGURE 2 to hold and clamp the stack to the member 34.

Ultimately, the cocking lugs 49 will have traveled completely around with the chains 18 and will re-engage the cocking levers 47 and swing them to their cocked or inactive positions shown in FIGURE 2, where the side holding bar 42 is retracted and actually is moved out from under the last article 14 which has been laid onto the stack. When the bar 42 is thus retracted, the stacked articles are securely held by the bar 38. It may now be seen that there is no time during the cycle of operation during which the stacked articles are not securely clamped to the member 34 and held against slippage.

The mechanism has now been completely recycled and assumes again the position shown in FIGURE 2, and the next set of dogs 31 has moved into place near the ledge 23 along with the next work clamping bar 33, whereby the stacking cycle may be repeated automatically in the described manner indefinitely, as long as the chains 18 are powered. The unpowered chains 26, it will be understood, are advanced intermittently or step-by-step due to the spacing of the dogs 31 and the lower chains stop automatically when the dogs 31 separate from the driving lugs 32 at the rear of the mechanism. The upper chains 18 may run continuously.

The structure and its operation is characterized by extreme simplicity and economy. Basically, the mechanism accomplishes substantially the same end result as the device in application S.N. 632,308.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like comprising a supporting and conveying means for each article while each article is suspended substantially vertically, a stacked article supporting member disposed at an elevation somewhat below the supporting and conveying means and toward which the supporting and conveying means carries each article and causes each article to be draped over the supporting member as the upper end of each article is conveyed beyond the supporting member and then released, a first movable holding device engaging stacked articles on the supporting member and disposed in the path of movement of the supporting and conveying means and directly engaged and lifted by the supporting and conveying means away from the supporting member and the stacked articles thereon prior to the placement of each successive article onto the stack, the supporting and conveying means releasing the first holding device when the upper end of each article has been carried well beyond said supporting member and the first holding device then automatically returning to active holding engagement with the stacked articles on the supporting member, a second movable stack holding device engaging and holding the stacked articles on the supporting member while the first holding device is out of engagement therewith, mechanism controlling the movement of the second holding device including an operating part extending near the supporting and conveying means, and an element on the supporting and conveying means engaging said part at the start of the stacking cycle and then holding the second holding device in an inactive position spaced from the stack and releasing the second holding device for movement to the active holding position prior to the lifting of the first holding device from the stack by the supporting and conveying means, said element re-engaging said part near the end of the cycle of operation and returning the second holding device to the inactive position, the first holding device having then returned to its active stacking position.

2. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 1, and wherein the stacked article supporting member is a bar having top and side faces which are generally perpendicular, the first holding device including a holding member engageable with the top face of the bar and the second holding device including a member engageable with said side face of the bar for clamping stacked articles thereto.

3. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 1, and wherein the first movable holding device is a pivoted gravity-influence device adapted to swing vertically on its pivot and returning by gravity to its active holding position when released from engagement with said supporting and conveying means.

4. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 3, and wherein said supporting and conveying means includes a pair of endless flexible conveyor elements and a cross bar secured to and extending between the conveyor elements and passing under and lifting the pivoted first movable holding device.

5. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 4, and wherein the pivoted first movable holding device comprises a holding bar engageable with the top of said supporting member and a pair of arms carrying the holding bar and being in the path of movement of said cross bar on said conveyor elements.

6. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 1, and wherein the second movable holding device is resiliently biased toward engagement with the stacked article supporting member so that the second holding device will automatically move to its active stack holding position when said element releases said operating part of the mechanism controlling the movement of the second holding device.

7. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 6, and wherein the second movable holding device comprises a stack holding bar shiftable laterally toward and away from one side of said supporting member, pivoted arms supporting said holding bar, spring means connected with said arms and through the arms urging the holding bar toward active engagement with the supporting member, at least one pivoted lever having a lost motion connection with one of said arms, a cocking extension on said lever disposed near the supporting and conveying means, and a cocking element on the conveying means engageable with the cocking extension at the start of the stacking cycle and causing said lever until released to hold the arms and the holding bar in an inactive position separated from stacked articles on the article supporting member.

8. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 1, and wherein said supporting and conveying means comprises overhead continuously moving endless flexible conveyor means including a resilient article gripping element and a rigid driving element, and coacting endless flexible conveyor means beneath the overhead conveyor means including spaced article gripping elements each of which is adapted to pass in turn into opposing work gripping relationship-With the resilient gripping element, and a corresponding number of spaced drive dogs on said coacting endless flexible conveyor means each in turn adapted for engagement with said rigid driving element, whereby continuous movement of the overhead conveyor means causes intermittent advancement of the coacting conveyor means sufliciently to complete the placement of each article on the stack supported by said supporting member.

9. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 8, and wherein the resilient article gripping element is an elongated rubber-like flap projecting from the overhead conveyor means and said spaced article gripping elements are bars on the coacting conveyor means substantially coextensive in length with the flap.

10. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 7, and a second holding bar spaced below the holding bar on said pivoted arms and below said supporting member for the stack and being in general vertical alignment with the holding bar on the pivoted arms, and means interconnecting the second holding bar and said pivoted arms so that the second holding bar will move in unison with the holding bar on the pivoted arms, the second holding bar serving to push the tails of stacked articles toward the rear of the stacking chamber.

11. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 10, and wherein said interconnecting means is an additional pair of pivoted arms having pivotal connections with the first-named pivoted arms and moved by the latter in response to the spring means.

12. A machine for stacking apparel articles and the like as defined by claim 11, and a panel element secured to said holding bars of the second movable holding device and spanning the space therebetween so that articles entering the machine will not be lodged behind the second holding bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 271-79; 8383, 94 

